Primary battery



Mar. 27, 1923.

1,450,043 M. MARTUS ET AL PRIMARY BATTERY 71 Filed Oct. 24, 1921 vs: 16' L 20 r 1 J9 mum IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII NIH:

l N V EN TORS Marlin Z. Marius, (a/mas- G'Faurs and Ea m unaHBa-(er BY h ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

UNITED YATES EATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN L. MARTUS, F WOOIDBUBY, AND JAMES G. ROSS AND EDMUND H. BECKER, OF WATERBUBY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOES TO THE WATERIBURY BATTERY 00., OF WATEBBURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

PRIMARY BATTERY.

Application filed October 24, 1921.

BECKER, both of Waterbury, New Haven County, Connecticut, all citizens of the United States, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Primary Batteries, of which the following is a specifi- 1 cation.

This invention relates to primary batteries, and more particularly to positive or zinc electrodes therefor, whether made in plate or cylinder forms.

The invention particularly relates to primary batteries wherein the negative electrode is" formed of oxide of copper or similar depolarizers and a positive electrode of zinc, and is adapted to both the cylinder 2 and plate forms ofelement when used in connection with a suitable active solution also containing a negative electrode.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, the electrolytic action of batteries of" 2 this characterserves to eat away the positive electrode during the active operation of the battery, and that after a specified number of ampere hour service the positive electrode will disintegrate to such an extent as to impair the efficiency of the battery.

This form of battery is at the present time extensively used for railway signal work, being usually installed adjacent to signal towers positioned along the track, for' automatically operating the signals for the trains. These batterieseach include a separate glass jarthrough which the action is always more apparent uponthe positive element and since this element is usually arranged, as the outer one of the several elements. it likewise is more noticeable and its Serial No. 509,857.

of renewing the assembled elements. In Fig. 1 of the drawings, we have shown the invention applied to a commercial cylindric'al form of zinc electrode whereas the sectional views represent the invention as applied to either a cylindrical or flat plate form of'zinc.

It is also an important feature of the invention to design the element so that the metal will flow more freely in the casting operations and thus produce better and more uniform zinc electrodes.

In the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this specification similar characters of reference will be found to denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several figures and of which 2- Fig. 1 shows a sectional elevation through a primary battery including its jar and cover, the zinc electrode in said cell being constructed in accordance with the feature of our invention;

Fig. 2 shows a vertical section through the positive, electrode taken on line 2-2 on Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of the cylindrical form of zinc electrode shown in Fig.1; I i

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a cylindrical form of zinc electrode showing a slightly different form of the invention; 7

Fig. 5 is a further side view of the same element as it would appear after being used in a battery to a point of exhaustion;

Figs. 6, 7 .and 8 show modified forms of the invention as applied toeither cylindrical or flat plate forms of zinc electrode.

Referring. in, detail to the characters of reference marked upon the drawings, 9 represents a battery jar, 10 a cover therefor having a hole through its center for the. attachment of the supporting rod llwhich is provided with a nutl2 forclamping the rod to the cover. The intermediate loop portion 13 of a hanger is secured to the lower head end of the supporting rod and the end portions 14 of the hanger are secured to the porcelain member 15 by means of the two rods 16 and nuts 17. This form of assembled battery element would obviously include one or more negative electrodes, not shown, but suspended from the porcelain member 15 and positioned adjacent to or rib, portiongis@not material .thus vve have.

means of attachment to the porcelain 15,

sheet metal ears 18, the lower endportions of which arecast in and formed integral with the body of the electrode as indicated.

at 19. A hole is formed in the upper portion of each of thesaea-rs to accommodate the screws 21 for the supporting of the zinc from: the porcelain.-

- Theabody portion of- :these electrodes is preferably formed tapering from v a thick top edge portionhtothinner bottom edge portion r, and, areotuniform thicknesses across; their I several horizontal port ons.

This construction obviously insures the wearing away and disappearance 1 of the lQWfiIyGd'G portion of the v relem entbetore -.the;-;u pper portion, the .saiddisintegration beginning at .7 the a extreme lower; edge. and

alsowof.substantially the. same degree of density, the bottom edge-,will Wear-away. 1 .raeross and; forma horizontal though ragged 'line es shown-inFig. 5. This conditiomis insured .and. made perfectly reliable.. in. a

Way .toLmoreypositively indicate-the state .of exhaustion of the element, bytheuseof our rimpljoved feature, than.can be done by-any. otherconstruction known to. us.

r mproved construct1on therefore as Wlll be, seen includes .theiorrnationof. a horizontal rib; or; -thickened. portion. 22, whichv extends.

across the/electrode at a point intermediate or across the electrodeand in away to, dividethe thinner lower portions =ofthe elecetizdde fronithe upper thicker portions.

The, particular shapegof. this thickened or shown several shapesf in which: it may be usdi', This lower or, thinner portion .ofthe f electrode -inay .bestrengthened. iflpreferred as.,shovvn;in,Figsril, 2 and 3 by the,,downvvardl y projected. reinforcements 23 which serve to thicken the stock atflthose points. .Whi t ese easem ntsn hv e y L. t aekeda v y tye p p r io e hit he; part u a typ f e e n aw they willmqt entirely l ,Sil pl kaanbeforeuthe.

. portion; of; the zincand {to gradually Workingupvva-rd until therib or stheathickened portion--22 is -reached.; As tlie. thickness ofthe zinc is uniform throughout, its, several. horizontal portions; and is var dfroin .said rib. Signed. at .Waterbury, in .the county of New Haven and-State of. Connecticut, this battery is exhausted as does the skirt portipn of the element belo ,th a thickened belt portion, thus-producing a slightly different shape of exhausted element from that indicated in Fig. 5.

Having thus described our invention, What We claim and desire to secure by Letters 1 atent,-'is:"

1., In, a primary battery, a cytindrical zinc electrode having an annular integral ribjormedupenitsouter surface and intermediate its thinnertop and bottom edges.

2. In a primary battery, an annular electrode having an integral horizontabrib formed on its side.

' 3.,- In a primary battery, the,- combination of a container,; a negative electrode, an. ac-

tive solution and a zinc electrodeso contrated electrolytic -actienin; the battery on the Zinc as to first destroy the loWer edga-taduallya 12- ward}thereafter.

4 A p m ry a t ry l ment, omp sin a relatively thin vertically. diSPOSBClyQlGC- trode thickened through .its. intermediates: horizontal, portion and ,having relatively 35 thinner-top and bottom edge portions I 5- A pr m ry ba e y element ompr s ng a relatively ,-thi n vertically. disposed electrode,' thickened through. its-intermediates. .horizontal; portion, and having its areaT-be- 10w d th ck nfid p r i n hinner tha itha above:- V

r a y a ye m t. omp isin a -Jrelatively .-thin ..vertically disposed e1 ec-; trod e, th ckened. throng-hits intermediate horizontal;gportiontand having. althin ta- I a pered a-rea belo w said-thickened portion." 'of the;.top andbottom edge portions and. preferably just below the central linearound 7.. In a primary battery; anelectrodehav- 111g an intermediate horizontally ribbed perv tion thickerthan itslovver'edge v 8;,In aprimary battery,anelectrode having an intermediate horizontally ribbedportion-thiekerthanjts. lower edge and having tapered. thickened portibjns extended dovv n- 17th, day ofOctober, AQD. .1921.

- MARTINL. MARTUS.

JAMES: G. :RO-SS EDMUND. H. BECK R- Witnesses; HA nrHUBnnn,

M. NEw Al -II 

